Trouser leg supporting device



Jan. 20, 1959 H. N. HANKOFF 2,869,138

TROUSER LEG SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Dec; 9, i955 I l l I ,46 I I6 I E 2 1 E 'f "l :1 i1 20 I I I I Q v I INVENTOR. HARRY N. HANKOFF' ATTORNEY TROUSER LEG SUPPORTING DEVICE Harry N. Hanlroff, North Miami, Fla.

Application December 9, 1955, Serial No. 552,157

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-311) This invention relates to devices for support of the lower and usual cufif end of trouser legs upon the body of the wearer in support of the trouser legs in raised, rolled condition, in what might be termed blousing. More particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described in the form of a one-way stretch elastic fabric, having circumferential elastic bands secured to ends and intermediate portions thereof for additional support of the device upon the wearer and the trouser leg and also in controlling folding of one end portion of the device upon the remainder of the device.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described, wherein the body engaging portion of the device includes vertical stays, or boning, for maintaining that part of the device in extended position upon the body of the wearer.

nited States Patent The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and. in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference charactors in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the lower portion of a trouser leg indicating its attachment to the lower part of the leg of a wearer.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of a device made according to my invention in extended position, with part of the construction broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device in normal use position.

Fig. 4 is a partial broken section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1 showing only the device and part of a trouser leg, the latter being diagrammatically illustrated.

In various uses of trousers, such, for example, as military uses, it has been desirable to support the lower end portions of the trouser legs in raised, rolled condition in what might be termed blousing these lower ends, particularly in movement through rough terrain, and the purpose of my invention is to provide a device which will, in a simple and practical manner, support the trouser legs in this raised position upon the upper end of a pair of shoes, on leggings or the like. In other uses, such as in several sports, namely golf, skiing and the like, the lower ends of the trouser legs can be maintained in raised position to avoid contact with damp ground, or snow, as the case may be. As a matter of fact, devices of the kind under consideration can be used practically in everyday wear, particularly in passing through snow, slush or in the presence of rain to protect the trouser cuffs. In such uses, the devices can be normally maintained upon the leg beneath the cuffs when in normal position and the cuffs, at will, placed in or coupled with the devices when the wearer is required to walk or move through bad weather conditions.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have indicated, at 10, the lower portion of a trouser leg, which has been turned upwardly or bloused, as indicated at 11, with the end or cufi portion 12 of the trouser leg secured in position by one of my improved holding or supporting devices 13.

The device 13 is shown in an inverted extended position in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this position being illustrated simply to more clearly show certain parts of the device. The device is in the form of a tubular body 14 which is formed of an extensive or elastic fabric, preferably of a circumferential stretch, so as to readily expand and contract in applying the device to the leg and in support of the trouser leg, as later described.

Fixed to the inner surface of the body 14 at one end is an elastic strap or band 15 and to the outer surface of the other end is an elastic band 16. Intermediate the bands 15 and 16 is another dividing band 17, which divides the device into an upper trouser engaging end 13 and a lower leg engaging end 19, the latter being considerably longer than the end 18, so that, in normal position, the strap 15 will be in wide spaced relationship to the strap 16, as will clearly appear from a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The several straps 15l7 are preferably in the form of woven elastic bands which can be of a color in harmony with the color of the body 14, or can be contrasting thereto. In this connection, it will be understood that the band may be produced in any desired color or combinations of colors.

Secured to opposed walls of the inner surface of the body 14 is a bone mounting tape 20, which is tubular in form and extends from the end 15 to the end 16 of the body and mounted in these tapes at the end portion 19 only of the body are bones or stays 21, as clearly noted in Fig. 4 of the drawing, these being employed to maintain the end portion 19 in extended position upon the body of the wearer. It will also be noted, from Fig. 4 of the drawing, that the body 14 is made from strap material with the cut end portions secured together, as diagrammatically seen at 22, thus forming the tubular structure of the body 14.

In the use of the device, the device, in an extended position, can be normally positioned upon the legs of the wearer beneath or within the lower portions of the legs of a pair of trousers. Then, whenever it is desired to use the same, the portion 18 is rolled downwardly over the upper part of the portion 19, in the manner seen-in Fig. 3 of drawing, thus providing, within the portion 18, a circumferential pocket 23, into which the lower or cuff end 12 of the trouser leg is adapted to be positioned, thereby supporting the lower portion of the trouser above the end 12 in a looped or bloused position, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. In some instances, the end portion 19 can engage the upper portion of a high shoe supported upon the foot or a legging or other foot covering and, in some instances, may simply be a sock or stocking and these various articles of apparel are diagrammatically identified by the reference character 24 in Fig. l of the drawing.

It will be apparent that the various elastics 15-17 form what might be termed pressure areas on the resulting device which aid in supporting the end portion 19 upon the body of the wearer; whereas, the elastic band 15 insures firm support of the trouser upon the leg.

It will also be understood that the strap or band 17 also controls position of folding of the end portion 18 upon the end portion 19, 17 checking downward movement of 18 upon 19. Where the device is attached and detached from the wearer, for continued uses, the mounting of the device upon the wearer can be with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3. However, in intermittent uses, where a person, in going outdoors would desire to support the trouser legs in raised position and then drop the trousers to cover the device when going indoors, then the device would normally be supported in an extended position to avoid d'ouble'weight and double pressure of the overlapped parts, as will be apparent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim asv new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for supporting the lower end portion of a trouser leg in bloused raised position upon a leg, said device comprising an elastic tubular body of one diameter throughout its length, said body being divided by narrow end and intermediate circumferential woven elastic straps into a leg engaging part and a trouser engaging part adapted to overlie the upper end portion only of the leg engaging part to form an annular pocket, the end strap of the leg engaging part being secured to the outer surface of said tubular body, the other end strap and said intermediate strap being secured to the inner surface of said tubular body, and said trouser engaging part, when folded on the leg engaging part adjacent the intermediate strap, disposing the end strap of said trouser engaging part on the now exposed surface of said trouser engaging part.

2. A device for supporting the lower end portion of a trouser leg in bloused raised position upon a leg, said device comprising an elastic tubular body divided by narrow end and intermediate circumferential woven elastic straps into a leg engaging part and a trouser engaging part adapted to overlie the upper end portion only of the leg engaging part to form an annular pocket, the end strap of the leg engaging part being secured to the outer surface of said tubular body, the other end strap and said intermediate strap being secured to the inner surface of said tubular body, said trouser engaging part, when folded on the leg engaging part adjacent the intermediate strap, disposing the end strap of said trouser engaging part on the now exposed surface of said trouser engaging part, narrow tapes secured to opposed sides of the inner surface of said tubular body and extending the full length thereof, and stiffening means arranged in the tapes on the leg engaging part only of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,020 Kinne June 2, 1925 1,575,544 Clements Mar. 2, 1926 1,608,096 Friedman Nov. 23, 1926 1,731,100 Herbener Oct. 8, 1929 1,733,761 Synovetz Oct. 29, 1929 1,948,251 Andrews Feb. 20, 1934 2,136,742 Herbener Nov. 15, 1938 2,316,958 Herbener Apr. 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 135,539 Austria Nov. 25, 1933 

